IMD expects revival of monsoon by Friday

Seeking to allay fears of deficient rains this season, the weather office on Monday said the delayed south-west monsoon is expected to revive by Friday.

"There are some good signs. Though there is a delay in onset, monsoon will catch up," India Meteorological Department(IMD) Director General Ajit Tyagi told reporters in New Delhi.

He said communications have been sent to the Centre and the state governments on the delay in onset to enable them toissue appropriate agro advisories to the farmers.

The Union Cabinet had set up a Committee of Secretaries to take stock of the situation arising out of the delayed monsoon, which decided to call a meeting on Friday of Agriculture Secretaries of states that have not received any rainfall.

Tyagi said the situation was not worrisome yet as a 10-day delay in onset of monsoon was already factored in the plans drawn by the government.

Another senior IMD official pointed out that even in 1926, the country had witnessed a similar delay in onset of monsoon but at the end of the season, excess rainfall was recorded.

Under normal conditions, monsoon should have reached Mumbai by June 10 and covered entire Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh by June 15.